The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-02

Increase IN their number, however, for 172
are known to have been fought in the
period OF that monarch's rule in which
slXty-nlne persons were killed and ninety
SIX wounded Thus, it will be seen. more
Than one-fifth of the combatants lost their
ilves, and nearly one-half were hit by the
bullets OF their antagonists. The substitu-
tlon or pistols for swords as dueling weapons
added materially to the percentage of fatal
results, as when swords were used the COM
Dat was usually stopped the moment blood
was seen to have been drawn.
Many duelists owed their lives to the brass
buttons SO much worn in former DAYS. A
case is also reported of a man who picked UP
horseshoe ON his way to duel, and placed
1t inside OF his coat his heart for ''luck, !"
ana the bullet happening to strike there
the horseshoe saved his life Another man
a distinguished French officer owed his life
to having hundred franc piece in his waist
coat pocket, which recalls the story Of the
Jester, Perpigan, who declared that hecould
never expect to escape death by such de-
wee, as he never had SO much as a five-franc
piece to spend, much less to carry in his
pocket as a protection against bullets The
question of distance is an important one in
estimating the measure of risk and singular
as 1t may appear, the risk is not necessarily
increased by shortening the distance. 1t
has been proved that fifteen long PAGES
is the most deadly distance with the com
mon dueling pistols. The next most dan
gerouS distance is said to be twelve feet;
While at eight PAGES, the fire, when a good
ann has been taken, is almost sure to be
harmless. MIR. Douglas cites several instances
where five or six shots were Intellectually ex-
changed at short distances, while in nearly
all the reported duels at fifteen PAGES one or
the other OF the parties was disabled at the
first fire. The professional duelistS of old
times also had a knack of SO holding the
pistol that a ball would have to pass up the
entire length of the arm before it touched
vital spot; and one of Fighting
Fitzgerald"-used to protect himself still
further by bending his head over his body,
and thus reducing his height five or six
inches
By much practice and observation duel
ing became a matter of such close calcutta
ton that the degree of peril could always
be definitely known, and in many cases the
seconds, who were not SO bloodthirsty as
their principals might be, fell into the ways
Of either putting insufficient charges of
powder into the pistols or leaving out the
bullets. The harmless termination of many
duels in which repeated shots We're ex-
changed by proficient marksmen can only
be explained on the theory of such interfer-
ence. An instance in point is that of the
fight between Mr.. Trevor and Capt. -,
who qTarreled about a lady and agreed to
settle the matter by standing face to face,
with only table separating them, and fire
at given signal. The seconds secretly
loaded the pistols with powder only. At
the signal the combatants fired and recoiled
from the shock. whats the meaning
of this!" they exclaimed simultane-
ously. ''Who has dared to make
fools of us2" The friends around
them cried: Honor is satisfied" Trevor
ground his teeth. 1.-THE remedy is easy
enough" said the Captain, pointing to some
swords suspended from the wall. He took
down two, measured them, and presented
one to his adversary, who received it eager
". "Now, there shall be no trickery," he
added. ''Stand off, sir" They stood con-
fronting each other, and the blades glist-
ened. The contest was short. The Captain
soon fell and expired without groan f'Oh,
my Cod" cried Trevor, ''what have done?
Is all this realityf-and in horrible dis
pair he flung himself upon the corpse of his
rival, which he shook convulsively, as
though to bring it to life again.
In those days. even the clergy recognized
the code to some extent; and thus it came to
pass that Rev. Mr.. Bate, who was an editor
as well as a clergyman found himself under
promise to meet one Capt. Stoney, who had
been refused the name Of the writer of a GER
tain article in Mr.. Bates paper. They met
in aroom, without seconds or witnesses, and,
locking the door, took their positions HAY
ing discharged their pistols without effect,
they threw them on the floor, and, drawing
their swords, attacked each other most reso-
lutely, the result being that Mr.. Bate was
wounded in the thigh and Capt. Stoney in
the arm and breast. By this time people
We're hammering at the door, but the
swordsmen fought on, and the conclusion
would have been fatal but for the fact of the
bending of Mr.. Bates weapon, which was
caused by the point striking the Captains
breaSt-bone On Mr.. Bate apprising hiso
ponent of this, the latter called upon him to
straighten it, and while he had the sword
under his foot for that purpose, the crowd
broke in and stopped the combat. Another
celebrated duel in room, without seconds,
was that of Fighting Fitzgerald" and Cor
neiius O'Brien, on account of kiss given
by the former to the latter's lady-love
against her will. Having lost the toss for
first shot, Fitzgerald managed to escape be-
ing hit by shouting ''boo" just as the other
fired. He then had O'Brien at his mercy
and might have killed him in an instant;
but he wisely chose, instead, to fire in the
air, and thus the commission of serious
crime was avoided on his part, and the girl
was paid for her kiss by having her sweet
heart safely restored to her.
1t happened now and then that the man
ner in which an insult was treated not only
prevented quarrel, but really put the in
jured person in higher position morally
than he had held before. Such was the
case with young officer named Oglethorpe
a boy of only Is. in fact-afterward distin-
guished as Gen Oglethorpe in the war with
the Spaniards il America One day he
Glanced to sit opposite the Prince of
Wurtemburg at military dinner,
and the prince managed by a flip of
his finger to make some of the wine
in his glass fly into the boys face. The di-
lemma was an awkward one for Oglethorpe.
To have challenged his insulter might have
fixed upon him the undeserved character of
a brawIer, and to take no notice of it might,
on the other hand have condemned him as
a coward. So, keeping his eye upon the
Prince, and smiling all the time, as If
he took in sport what had been done, he
said: "Prince, that's not bad joke, but
we play it much better in England throw
ing n whole glass of wine in the Princes
face. An old General who sat by said
ale is in the right my Prince; you
began it, The prince at once saw his error,
accepted the reproof and shook hands with
Young Oglethorpe. Few princes, perhaps,
would have behaved so well under the cir
cumstances, and few boys OF fifteen, it is safe
to saw. would have been able thus TO avert
tragedy by interposinga comedy. The story
would read better, however, If 1t were not Tor
the ugly fact that the prince showed himself
TO be an unmistakable coward and black
Guard to begin with, when he should have
been an example of courtesy and manllness
TO the rest OF the company